A Thai girl who had been forced to perform sexual services for money at a massage parlor in Tokyo is expected to be returned to her home country in the coming days, according to media reports.

She is currently staying at a support facility in Japan as a victim of human trafficking, and the Thai Embassy in Tokyo is coordinating with Japan¡¯s National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry to arrange for her return to Thailand, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported. She is expected to live in a local support facility in Thailand upon her return.

The girl has expressed a desire to return to Thailand since first seeking help from the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau in September. Media reports say she hopes to see her grandparents and attend middle school in her home country.

The girl¡¯s mother brought her to Japan from Thailand in late June, when she was 12, on a visitor visa. The girl was then forced to stay and work at a massage parlor, providing sexual services to around 60 clients over the course of about a month.

The case first came to light when the girl ran into the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau on her own to alert authorities about her situation.

In October, the girl¡¯s mother, who had disappeared and left her behind in Japan, was detained in Taiwan on suspicion of being involved in prostitution. Both the Thai police and Tokyo¡¯s Metropolitan Police Department issued arrest warrants for her.

The mother was deported back to Thailand from Taiwan on Tuesday and has been taken into custody at a Thai police facility. The Thai police announced on Wednesday that the mother was arrested on charges including human trafficking.

In connection with the incident, the Japanese operator of the massage parlor was also arrested last month on suspicion of violating the Labor Standards Act, which prohibits the employment of children under 15.

Information from Jiji added